Washing machine recirculation system



July 5, 1960 J. BOCHAN 2,943,474

WASHING MACHINE RECIRCULATION SYSTEM Filed June 20, 1957 F|G.l

, II N f 2 v o o" o o o o 0 l /v-6 I 26 H i i 5 INVENTOR. .TOHN BOCHAN HIS ATTORNEY United States Patent f) f WASHING MACHINE RECIRCULATION SYSTEM John Bochan, Louisville, Ky., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed June 20, 1957, Ser. No. 666,905

'3 Claims. (Cl. 68-18) My invention relates to clothes washing machines and more particularly to such machines provided with a clothes basket mounted in an outer imperforate tub and including a recirculation system for continuously cleaning and filtering the washing liquid during the Washing operation.

By providing a recirculation system in a clothes washing machine of this character, the clothes basket may be continuously supplied with clean washing liquid during the washing operation. This, of course, results in a particularly effective washing of the clothes. To supply the clothes basket with clean washing liquid, the recirculation system creates a flow of the liquid from the basket into the outer tub of the machine and thence from the tub! back into the basket again. The liquid flowing from the basket into the tub carries with it the lint and insoluble soil particles which are removed from the clothes by the washing action effected within the basket. The insoluble soil particles tend to settle out of the liquid during its passage through the outer tub, but some sort of filtering means must be provided in order to remove the lint from the recirculation flow.

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide a recirculation system for clothes washing machines, which includes a new and improved self cleaning filter screen arrangement for filtering lint from the recirculation flow.

Another object of my invention is to provide a recirculation system for clothes washing machines, with a self cleaning filter screen which will not clog or obstruct the movement of water during the recirculation flow.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved recirculation system for clothes washing machines, including a self cleaning filter screen and an arrangement for automatically cleaning the filter each time the machine is used.

Another object of my invention is to provide a self cleaning filter screen which is mounted within the machine so as to be substantially hidden from View and disposed so as to facilitate basket accessibility.

Another object of my invention is to provide a self cleaning filter screen of the above type which is of relatively simple construction, easy to install, and requires a minimum of attention.

In carrying out my invention in one form thereof, I provide a clothes washing machine having a rotatable clothes basket disposed within an outer imperforate tub. Means including a pump are incorporated within the machine for circulating a flow of liquid from the tub into the basket during the washing operation. The continuous flow of liquid into the basket causes an overflow of liquid out of the basket, and this overflow carries with it lint removed from the clothes during the washing operation. By my invention an improved self cleaning filter is positioned beneath the basket to intercept the overflow and collect the lint before the liquid returns to the recirculation pump. The filtering surface of this filter is positioned to remain below the normal liquid level in the tub during the washing operation, and the action of the liquid over the filtering surface prevents the lint from clogging the surface during the washing operation. Fur- 2,943,474 'Patented July 5, 1960 ther, the filter is arranged to move with the basket, and thereby during the centrifugal extraction operation following the washing operation, the filter rotates at high speed and discharges the lint over its rim into the tub. From the tub the lint is then washed into the drain by the liquid being discharged from the machine. Thus it will be seen that by my invention there is provided an im-. proved recirculation system in which the filter is not only non-clogging but also is self cleaning so that no attentio to the filter is required from an operator.

The subject matter which I regard as my invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of this specification. The invention itself, however, may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation view of a clothes washing machine including a recirculation system embodying my invention, the view being partially broken away and partially in section in order to illustrate details;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view, partially broken away, of the lint filter included in the recirculation system of the machine of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the Fig. 1, I have shown therein an agitator type clothes washing machine 1. The machine 1 includes a clothes basket 2 which is disposed within an outer imperforate tub or casing 3. The tub 3 is in turn mounted within an appearance cabinet 4. At the center of the wash basket 2 there is positioned a vertical axis agitator 5 which includes a center post 6 and a plurality of radially extending vanes 7. The agitator is further provided with an outwardly and downwardly flared skirt 8 to which the vanes 7 are attached at their lower edges. The skirt 8 extends to a position in proximity to the bottom of the basket 2 and covers a substantial portion thereof.

Both the clothes basket 2 and the agitator 5 are rotatably mounted. The basket is mounted on a flange 9 of a rotatable hub 10, and the agitator 5 is mounted on a shaft (not shown) which extends upwardly through the hub 10 and the center post 6. The agitator is secured to this shaft by means of an internally threaded nut or cap 11 at the top of the center post. During the cycle of operation of the machine 1, the agitator 5 is first oscillated back and forth within the basket to wash the clothes therein. Then, after a predetermined period of this washing action, the basket 2 is rotated at high speed to extract centrifugally the washing liquid and discharge it into the outer tub 3 for draining from the machine. In a preferred cycle of operation a supply of clean liquid is introduced into the wash basket for rinsing the clothes, and the agitator is again oscillated. Finally, the wash basket is once more rotated at high speed to extract the rinse water and discharge it into the outer tub for draining.

The basket 2. and the agitator 5 may be driven by any suitable means as the drive means form no part of the{ present invention. However, by way of example, I have shown them as driven from a reversible motor 12. The motor 12 drives the basket and the agitator through a drive including a bi-directional clutch 13 which is mounted on the motor shaft. The clutch 13 is directional responsive, and it is connected by suitable belts to drive selectively the input pulleys 14- and 15 of a transmission assembly 16 depending upon the direction of motor rotation. Specifically, upon one direction of motor rotation the clutch drives pulley 14 and upon the other direction of motor rotation it drives pulley 15.

The transmission 16 is so arranged that it supports and drives both the agitator drive shaft and the basket mounting hub 10. When the pulley 14 is driven by the bi-directional clutch 13, the transmission causes the agitator 5 to oscillate within the basket 2. Conversely,

when the pulley 15 is driven, the transmission drives the wash basket 2 and the agitator together at high speed for centrifugal extraction. Thus, the operation carried out, i.e. agitation or centrifugal extraction is controlled by the direction of rotation by the drive motor, agitation occurringwhen the motor turns in one direction and centrifugal extraction occurring when it turns in the other direction. Although the drive mechanism forms no part of the present invention, reference is made to Patents 2,639,618 and 2,639,794 to I. W. McNairy, both issued May 26, 1953, and assigned to the assignee of the pres ent invention. These patents disclose in detailthe structural characteristics of the drivemechanism including the bi-directional clutch and the transmission assembly.

As will be described hereinafter, it is desirable for the most effective operation of the filtering means of the present invention, that the basket 2 have a slight movement during the operation of the agitator 5, i.e., during the Washing and rinsing operations. With the drive mechanism disclosed in the aforesaid McNairy patents a slow, intermittent, unidirectional movement or creep of the basket is created during the agitator drive, which is very satisfactory for causing the best operation of the filtering means. However, it will be understood that other drive mechanism may be used without departing from the present invention.

In order to clean and filter the washing liquid during thewashing and rising operations, the machine 1 is provided with a recirculation system which circulates washing liquid from the tub 3 into the basket 2 throughout those operations. This recirculation system includes a pump 19 which is secured to the bottom Wall of the tub 3 and which withdraws the washing liquid from the tub through a suitable baffle assembly 20. The pump 19 is driven by the motor 12 through a flexible coupling 21 between the motor shaft and the pump shaft and during the washing and rising operations it discharges into a hose or recirculation conduit 22 which leads to a spout 23 mounted above the basket 2. The spout 23, extending over the top and the basket, discharges the liquid into the basket. The flow rate of the recirculation flow may be controlled by action of a restrictor 23a in the recirculation conduit 22 or by any other suitable means.

Any suitable pump may be used to create the recirculation flow during the washing and rinsing operations. However, in the machine 1 I have shown a pump of the type which discharges into one of two outlets depending upon the direction of the pump rotation. A directional pump of this type is disclosed in detail and claimed in my copending application S.N. 468,460, filed November 12, 1954, now Patent No. 2,883,843, of April 28, '1959, and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. One of the two outlets of the illustrated directional pump is connected to the recirculation hose or conduit 22 for returning liquid to the basket 2 in the manner described above. The other pump outlet is connected to a hose 24 which is adapted to be connected or disposed for discharge to a stationary tub or drain line. The pump 19 is so arranged that upon one direction of motor rotation corresponding to the driving of agitator 5, the pump output is discharged through conduit 22 for return to basket 2. Conversely, upon rotation of motor in reverse direction for spinning basket 2, the liquid is pumped through conduit or hose 24 to the drain. It will be understood, however, that a conventional pump withsuitable solenoid operated valve means may be used in place of the directional pump to effect this result, and that my invention is not limited to a machine having a directional During the washing and rinsing operations the liquid passed into the basket by the pump 19 causes a continuous overflowing from the basket through overflow apertures '25 provided near the'upper end of the basket side war 26. The lint overflowing through 'these apertures i 25 carries with it a considerable portion of the lint removed from the clothes as a result of the agitator operation. This lint laden liquid flows down the outer side of the side walls of the basket into a filter 27 positioned beneath the bottom of the basket. The filter 27, which comprises an important aspect of my invention, is mounted on the flange 9 of the basket mounting hub 10 by means of the same bolts 28 as the basket itself, and it extends outwardly, substantially perpendicular relative to the axis of rotation of basket 2 and agitator 5, to a radius slightly greater than that of the basket side wall 26 at its lower end. The filter 27 is thus effective to catch the lint laden Water overflowing from the basket, and, as will be more fully explained hereinafter, it removes the lint from the water by means of an annular screen or perforated portion 29. After passing through the perforated portion or screen 29, the clean filtered water is drawn into the pump 19 for recirculation to the clothes basket.

Referring now to both Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the filter 27, in its preferred form, includes a raised, central hub portion 30 by which it is mounted on the basket hub 9. The filter hub 30 contains suitable apertures 31 through which the mounting bolts 28 may be passed and it is provided with a large central aperture 32 for accommodating the drive means or shafts (not shown) for the agitator 5 and the basket 2. The screen or perforated portion 29 of the filter comprises an annulus around the hub 30, which is spaced somewhat downwardly from the hub and is joined thereto by suitable inclined connecting steps 33. The holes or perforations 34 in the filter annulus 29 are of such size as to permit the passage of liquid therethrough while retaining and collecting any lint carried by the liqid. Outwardly of the filter annulus 29, the member 27 is provided with an upwardly inclined rim 35 whose upper edge 36 lies somewhat higher than the plane of the raised hub 30.

In accordance with my invention the filter 27 is so constructed and arranged that it does not clog or become obstructed with lint removed from the recirculating liquid during the recirculation operation. In order to effect this result the filter is so mounted that the filter screen 29 remains below the normal liquid level in the tub which is indicated at 37 in Fig. 1. When the machine 1 is filled with liquid for the washing and rinsing operations, the basket 2 is first filled with liquid and then sufficient liquid is overflowed into the tub 3 to form a pool to the level 37. When the pool reaches that level, the filling operation is then terminated by means of a suitable liquid level responsive control 38. With the screen 39 irnmersed in the liquid, the filtered-out lint has a tendency to remain loose from the screen holes 34. Even though there is a steady flow downwardly through the screen, the body of liquid above the screen or filtering surface continually washes the screen so as to prevent the hut from clinging onto the edges of the perforation. In effeet, the liquid above the screen continuously floats the lint off the screen so as to prevent clogging.

Besides this action of the body of liquid above the screen, in my preferred embodiment the motion of the filter 27 itself also tends to keep the screen 29 unclogged. As mentioned above, the filter 27 is mounted on the basket hub 9 so that it moves with the basket, and since the basket 2 has a creeping or unidirectional movement during the operation of the agitator, this means that the screen also creeps along slowly. This movement of the screen tends to roll up the lint into small balls so that strings of lint do not form in the screen perforations. The lint ball or balls so formed move around above the screen and do not block the perforations.

It will be particularly noted that the lint which is removed from the recirculating liquid by the filter 27 remains within the filter throughout the washing operation. The outer rim 36 of the filter extends above the liquid level 37 in the tub, as shown, and thereby traps within the filter the lint removed by the screen 29.

The filter 27 by a further aspect of my invention is self cleaning during the centrifugal extraction operations of the machine following the Washing and rinsing operations. At those times the filter 27 spins at high speed with the basket, creating a centrifugal force which discharges the collected lint out of the filter over the rim 35 into the tub 3. The lint is then carried out of the tub with the waste liquid through the pump 19 and the hose 24. The liquid contents of the basket are discharged into the tub at a high rate during the extraction operations creating a high turbulence therein efiective to carry the lint discharged from the filter 27 to the pump 19. Any liquid entering the filter during the extraction operation is centrifuged out over the rim 35 and aids in carrying the lint over the rim.

From the above it will be seen that I have provided a recirculation system including a new and improved filter arrangement which is effective to separate lint from the recirculation flow without clogging with the lint. In addition, the lint removed from the recirculation flow and collected within the filter is automatically discharged to the drain during a later stage of the machine operation. Due to this self-cleaning action of the filter, there is never any need for the operator of the machine to remove the filter and clean it. The arrangement has the further advantage that the filter is relatively simple to fabricate and assemble Within the washing machine.

Besides flushing lint from the wash basket 2, the illustrated recirculation system is also effective to remove insoluble soil particles from the basket. During the operation of the agitator the insoluble soil particles removed from the clothes tend to sink to the bottom of the basket and then move into the quiescent zone existing under the skirt 8 of the agitator. In order to remove these soil particles from the region beneath the agitator skirt there is provided a nozzle 39 in the bottom wall of the basket. A controlled flow of liquid is discharged from the basket through this nozzle 39 and this flow carries with it the insoluble soil particles. A boot 40 extending outwardly from the top of the hub to the bottom wall of the basket prevents the soil particles from entering the more or less stagnant area adjacent the hub. The soil particles discharged through the nozzle 39 pass through the lint filter 27 and tend to settle out in the tub during the passage of liquid therethrough to the pump 19 and thereby are not returned to the basket through the recirculation system. The soil particles are later discharged from the tub during a centrifugal extraction operation along with the lint which is removed by the filter 27, the high turbulence on the tub bottom 41 washing the soil particles as well as the lint to the pump 19.

While in accordance with the patent statutes I have described what at present is considered to be the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention, and I, therefore, aim in the appended claims to cover all such equivalent variations as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a clothes washing machine, a rotatable clothes basket having side wall means and a bottom, means for washing clothes in said basket and means for subsequently rotating said basket to extract liquid from said clothes, an outer imperforate tub having a bottom and enclosing said basket, means including a pump for circulating liquid from said tub into said basket during the washing operation and for overflowing liquid from said basket into said tub, a filter having a filtering surface gor removing lint from said liquid passing from said basket into said tub, said filter being positioned beneath the bottom of said basket and spaced above said bottom of the tub and extending in a plane generally perpendicular to the basket axis of rotation with a diameter greater than the basket diameter whereby the liquid overflowing from said basket during the washing operation is intercepted to pass through said filter, the outer rim of said filter being upwardly inclined, means maintaining a liquid level in said tub covering said filtering surface during said washing operation to prevent said filter from being clogged with lint, and said filter being mounted for movement with said basket to discharge the lint collected therein centrifugally into said tub during the rotation of said basket following said washing operation.

2. In a clothes washing machine, a rotatable clothes basket having side wall means and a bottom, means for washing clothes in said basket and means for subsequently rotating said basket to extract liquid from said clothes, an outer imperforate tub having a bottom and enclosing said basket, means including a pump for circulating liquid from said tub into said basket during the washing operation and for overflowing liquid from said basket into said tub, and a filter having a filtering surface for removing lint from said liquid passing from said basket into said tub, said filter being positioned beneath the bottom of said basket and spaced above said bottom of the tub and extending in a plane generally perpendicular to the basket axis of rotation with a diameter greater than the basket diameter whereby the liquid overflowing from said basket during the washing operation is intercepted to pass through said filter, means maintaining a liquid level in said tub covering said filtering surface during said washing operation to prevent said filter from being clogged with lint, the outer rim of said filter being inclined upwardly and extending above said liquid level for trapping lint in said filter during said washing operation, and said filter being mounted for movement with said basket to discharge the lint collected therein centrifugally over said rim into said tub during the rotation of said basket following said washing operation.

3. In a clothes washing machine, a rotatable clothes basket having side wall means and a bottom, means for washing clothes in said basket and for simultaneously eifecting a slight movement of said basket, means for subsequently rotating said basket to extract liquid from said clothes, an outer imperforate tub having a bottom and enclosing said basket, means including a pump for circulating liquid from said tub into said basket during the washing operation and for overflowing liquid from said basket into said tub, and a filter having a filtering surface for removing lint from said liquid passing from said basket into said tub, said filter being positioned beneath the bottom of said basket and spaced above said bottom of the tub and extending in a plane generally perpendicular to the basket axis of rotation with a diameter greater than the basket diameter whereby the liquid overflowing from said basket during the washing operation is intercepted to pass through said filter, the outer rim of said filter being upwardly inclined, means maintaining a liquid level in said tub covering said filtering surface during said washing operation for preventing clogging of said filter, and said filter being mounted for movement with said basket, thereby both to aid in the prevention of clogging during said washing operation, and to discharge the lint collected therein centrifugally into said tub during the rotation of said basket following said washing operation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,362,871 Wardwell Nov. 14, 1944 2,481,979 Colley Sept. 13, 1949 2,778,212 Dayton et al. Jan. 22, 1957 2,784,582 Hartung et al. Mar. 12, 1957 

